Background
Almarai, one of the GCC's largest FMCG brands, partnered with Snap Inc. and media agency Starcom KSA for the 2026 Ramadan season to create a location-based AR campaign titled Harat ALYOUM (Today's Neighborhood). The campaign was designed around the cultural insight of reconnecting Saudi communities with the warmth of traditional neighborhood life during Ramadan.
The Deployment
Harat ALYOUM was built on Snap's newly launched Promoted Places feature, which surfaces sponsored location pins directly on the Snap Map. Almarai became among the first brands globally to connect Promoted Places with a dedicated AR Lens, creating a seamless journey from map-based discovery into an immersive interactive experience. The campaign activated across high-traffic cultural destinations and everyday neighborhoods in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Khobar, including KAFD, Diriyah, and Corniche waterfront sites.
The AR Experience
Snapchatters tapping a Harat ALYOUM pin on Snap Map were transported into a virtual neighborhood environment inspired by Ramadan traditions. Inside the experience, users could explore the neighborhood, discover Ramadan recipes, and engage with cultural traditions. A custom 3D neighborhood icon on the map anchored the activation spatially, while the full-funnel media approach included Promoted Places, AR Lens, Commercials, Chat Ads, and Snap Ads. The campaign was further amplified by a weekly episodic content series.
Outcomes
The activation reached more than 15 million people across Saudi Arabia and generated 207.9 million impressions. Over 9 million users entered the virtual Harat. Open rates ran 73% above global benchmarks and playtime within the AR environment was 1.7 times higher than benchmark figures. The first episode of the content series surpassed 1.5 million views shortly after release.
